FARMINGTON – The planning board will be taking another look at the proposed Emery Community Arts Center at their scheduled meeting Monday night. The University of Maine at Farmington and its design team hopes it will be for the last time.
The building was originally proposed as a 14,000 square foot facility containing a 100-seat performance theater, which would have movable seating for a variety of different performance types, as well as multipurpose art spaces, a digital music studio and a lobby for events both in the center and the Alumni Theatre.
The modified design removes the most controversial aspect of the building; a partially-glass lobby positioned in front of the Alumni Theatre. The arts center would be changed from an L-shaped building to a simple rectangle, reducing the square footage from 14,000 to 13,600, and moved away from Academy Street to a position west of the historic theatre and Dearborn Gym, leaving the front facade of Alumni Theatre unmodified.
The change mostly negates concerns, from the Maine Historic Preservation Commission and local organizations, over possible alterations to Alumni Theatre’s historic entryway facade, as well as residents who feared the building’s construction or presence would be detrimental to the Farmington Public Library.
It also maintains the goals of UMF; creating an arts quad by bringing together Merrill Hall, with the internal Nordica Auditorium, Alumni Theatre and the arts center itself, as well as the public library. Equally important to people using Alumni Theatre, the arts center would provide a warm lobby for events and allow handicapped access through a main entrance.
After reviewing the plans for the Emery Community Arts Center as presented by the University of Maine at Farmington, the Board of Trustees of the Farmington Public Library has released the following statement:
“The Farmington Public Library is grateful to the University and DesignLab Architects for responding to the concerns of library representatives and those of the community. The proposed design of Emery Community Arts Center is one that the entire arts community can embrace and will be a benefit to the citizens of Farmington and surrounding areas.”
MHPC Director Earle Shettleworth, Jr. wrote a letter to Code Enforcement Officer Steve Kaiser saying that his agency approves of the redesign.
“The revised design substantially addresses the concerns that the commission previously expressed about this project,” he wrote.
He went on to note that a “modern design” with modern materials would help separate the historic building and art center, as would the decision to use limited brick in the new facility. Shettleworth did say the commission was interested in seeing how the parking lot in front of Alumni Theatre was developed, as several different elevations would need to be brought together.
Designers have said that the nuts and bolts of the plan, such as the storm water and erosion control plans, would not change dramatically due to the alterations.
hooray!!!!!
public opinion prevails!
no ugly glass box in front of the theater blocking the library!
I have seen the “approved” design, and even now, I’m unimpressed with the entrance – it honestly looks like an entrance to a “Big Box” store. Wouldn’t you think an architect could have come up with something better? Scott Slarsky loves arches & glass – using the Mechanics Hall in Worcester Mass as an example. Why couldn’t he have come up with some brick & arches – it would have blended nicely with the Alumni Theatre and the arches on Merrill Hall. But no…Farmington gets an ugly entrance that truly looks like Wal*Mart. But you’re right, Mark. At least we got rid of that uncreative glass box.
hopefully the bulldog will publish the new plans. i hope the view of the library from main st is not blocked.